Cycling in Burundi - Come Ride with Us

How did you start your day this morning? A shower? Brushing your teeth? Wishing everyone would just leave you alone until you made your coffee? What do all of these things have in common? Water! For many Burundian women, their day starts similar to ours. With water. But in some areas of the country, water is all but impossible to access without a bicycle.

See through the eyes of a Burundian woman as the incredible Odette Mwiza shows you how she, and many women like her, start their mornings!

She gave BFI the inside scoop. “My name is Odette Mwiza from Gihanga Commune. In our commune in Bubanza Province, we have a problem of needing to collect and transport water. That’s why even a child knows how to ride. This video I was going to fetch water. But a bicycle in our commune is very useful in many cases. During harvest time bicycles are like cars. Really at Gihanga Commune to live without bicycle is like living without having a place to sleep in the night.”

Odette brings you the sights and sounds of Gihanga Commune, in this 37-second ride-along, so you can feel like Burundi is right outside your front door! She is an inspiration to all of us here at BFI, and a reminder of why our Cycling4Burundi Team is hard at work training for their Road to RAGBRAI.

Feeling inspired? BFI needs your help to continue working hand-in-hand with women like Odette.

Help us meet our $50k goal for RAGBRAI by sharing this Blog, following us on Twitter @BurundiFriends, liking us on Facebook and Instagram, and making a tax-deductible donation here.